Covid-19: Stoke-on-Trent to trial new tests

New coronavirus tests are being trialled in Stoke-on-Trent, designed to provide results more quickly.

It comes as the city introduces tier two restrictions from 00:00 BST on Saturday, after the coronavirus rate almost doubled in a week.

The city council said the lateral flow antigen test pilot would target people without symptoms.

They are expected to produce a result within 20 minutes without the need for a laboratory.

Council leader Abi Brown said testing asymptomatic people could "help us to break the cycle of transmission" and help identify "silent spreaders", in a bid to protect friends, colleagues and family members.

She said the new tests could also be used to "minimise ongoing disruption" for those who test negative, "in turn supporting the economy and wider society".

Council staff will be the first to undergo the new tests, before they are rolled out in the coming weeks.

As part of the trial, those who test positive will still need to complete a laboratory-based test to confirm the result.

In Stoke-on-Trent, the number of new cases rose to 210.2 per 100,000 people for the seven days to 19 October, up from 122.5.

The move to tier two restrictions in Stoke-on-Trent was requested by the city council in a bid to prevent more serious measures in the future.

It means no mixing of households indoors - be that in homes, pubs, restaurants or other locations.

There are exemptions for things like childcare and you are also still allowed to meet up with people in your support bubble.

Mixing outdoors is still allowed, but this will be limited to groups of no more than six people.

The move has worried some businesses, who have said they will need extra financial help.

Josef Bailey from the Quarter Restaurant in Hanley said: "Probably 70% of our business is based on people from mixed households meeting up for drinks, for food, girly catch-ups, celebrations.

"So for us, a massive part of our business is now going to be affected."

He said he was concerned people would simply not turn up for bookings and that others may arrive, not understanding the new rules.

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